Im looking into buying a home whose 17' by 15' living room is approx 6
inches stepped down from the other floors. There is an unfinished
basement beneath this room and more than 10ft of ceiling above this
room.

Id like to know if the floor of this room can be raised and brought in
line with the other floors on the same level in this house. I was
wondering if something simple as removing the carpet & subfloor and
adding some lumber on top of the floor joists and reinstalling the
removed subfloor and carpet woud be feasible? Would the joists be able
to handle the extra lumber (essentially deadweight with no structural
help)? Has someone attempted something like this.

Thanks.
Bof.